These guidelines apply only to social media accounts created to represent Chapman University or any school, college, department, program, or organization that receives the majority of its operating revenue directly from Chapman University. These guidelines and official endorsement do not apply to student organizations at this time.

5.1.3. Who is not Affected

Social media activities by faculty and staff that are considered “personal sites” are not covered by this guideline. However, we expect university employees acting in an individual capacity to communicate clearly that they are not representing or expressing the views of Chapman University. Personal/individual sites maintained by faculty and staff that inherently represent the university must comply with this guideline.

We consider a site or account owner to inherently represent the university if the owner consciously and consistently uses his or her web presence to indicate an affiliation with Chapman University. Examples of someone who we would consider an inherent representative of the university include a faculty member who primarily uses his or her Twitter account to communicate with students, or an administrator who uses a Facebook page to share work-related information with subordinates, or a staff member who blogs primarily about his or her work at Chapman University.

5.2. Criteria

We have established certain criteria to determine when and how Chapman University officially endorses a social media site. These criteria ensure that the university is represented in a fair, accurate, and legal manner while protecting the brand and reputation of the institution.

Official endorsement means the social media site will be listed on the university’s website, social.chapman and, whenever feasible, will be linked to, promoted, and featured in marketing and communication activities. To obtain and keep an official endorsement, you must take the following actions.

5.2.1.Register the name of the proposed site and the name(s) of the persons responsible for providing content with the University’s Interactive Marketing Specialist. This will ensure effective communication and content coordination.

5.2.2. Ensure that the content appropriately represents the University, and that the social media site is compliant with internet best practices such as privacy rules, disclaimer statements, contact information, and ADA compliance.

5.2.3. The content of a disclaimer may vary, but a comprehensive statement might include:
All information provided on this site is for social networking purposes only and does not constitute a legal contract between the university and any entity unless otherwise specified. Chapman University does not guarantee the information contained in these sites nor information contained in links to other external web sites, and does not endorse any views expressed or products or services offered therein. Any links to external web sites and/or non-university information are provided as a courtesy. They should not be construed as an endorsement by Chapman University of the content or views of the linked materials. These sites are unmoderated forums containing the opinions and expressions of the persons who post the entries.

5.2.4. Submit the profile image or avatar of each account or site to Strategic Marketing to ensure that the image or avatar upholds our branding standards. If the images do not meet SMC branding guidelines and expectations, our team will create images for you. Please contact your Account Executive.

5.2.5. Clearly indicate in the description that the social media account is the official representation of the unit and legally associated and affiliated with Chapman University.

5.2.6. Include a disclaimer statement regarding the content and opinions that appear on the site.

5.2.7. Agree to post frequently so you build awareness and generate followers.

5.2.7.1. The Web and Interactive Marketing team will contact the unit representative concerning sites that are not updated within 14 consecutive days (YouTube accounts should be updated at least once per month).

5.2.7.2. We will remove any sites that are not updated over a period of 21 consecutive days from the university’s social.chapman directory and website until consistent postings resume.

5.2.7.3. Special consideration will be given to affiliated units whose social media accounts revolve around one annual event.

5.2.8. Monitor replies and comments, and responds promptly and appropriately. Unanswered questions or unaddressed concerns may generate negative posts that reflect on Chapman University’s social media effort as a whole. (Best practice suggests checking and responding at least twice daily.)

5.2.8.1. A member of the Web and Interactive Marketing team will contact the unit representative about any sites that fail to address follower concerns, questions, or comments over a period of 14 consecutive days. Any sites not addressing follower concerns, questions, or comments over a period of 21 consecutive days will be removed from the university’s Social.Chapman directory and website until consistent responses resume.

5.2.8.2. Sites must not remove or delete comments on their pages without proper reason. Social media sites should not be treated like web pages, but two-way communication channels.

5.2.8.3. For response guidelines, we are working on a Social Media Response Tree.

5.2.9.1. Review your comments and postings. Edit or correct all spelling and grammatical errors immediately. If editing the post is unavailable, make corrections in the comments section.

5.2.9.2. Sites with repeated spelling and grammatical errors will be removed from the university’s social.chapman directory and website.

5.2.9.3. The style of individual college or department writing may be playful, cheerful, and witty; however, the voice of your college or department should be consistent and in line with your department’s established personality and goals.

5.2.10. Adhere to the same standards of conduct and communication that are expected in the workplace.

5.2.10.1. Respect privacy laws. Do not include confidential information about the university or its faculty, staff, or students. Posting confidential information and violating the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) will result in immediate removal from Chapman directories and marketing collateral.

5.2.10.4. Avoid content that could be interpreted as obscene, offensive, threatening, or illegal.

5.2.11. Adhere to Terms of Service (or Terms and Conditions) as defined by the social media website that you are using. In accordance with social media Terms of Service, brands (departments and colleges) must use brand pages and profiles provided by the social media service. Brands must not use human profiles or accounts to connect to or communicate with online users. Human profiles will not be considered for endorsement or listing on the university’s website properties or print collateral.

5.2.12. Social media pages should operate independently from each other. The university does not support linking social media pages together. Accounts that propagate identical messages across media will be removed from the university’s social.chapman directory and website.

5.2.13. You cannot use Chapman University’s name or logos/marks nor an officially endorsed social media site to indicate official support of any product, private business, cause, or political candidate.

5.2.14. Affiliated units are prohibited from entering into advertising agreements with social media sites. Any affiliated unit wishing to purchase advertising on social media sites must work with Strategic Marketing and Communications to achieve their goals.

5.3. Responsibilities and Clarification

We encourage anyone whose job responsibilities include posting to social media sites to contact the Web and Interactive Marketing team at any time for advice, assistance, and consultation.

5.3.1. The Director of Web and Interactive Marketing is responsible for administering this guideline.

5.3.3. Chapman University has the right to remove (or cause to be removed) any content from any site maintained in the name of the university for any lawful reason, including but not limited to, content that it deems to be threatening, obscene, a violation of intellectual property rights or privacy laws, or otherwise injurious or illegal.

Strategic Marketing & Communications welcomes you to our online knowledge base where you can learn about the various marketing processes, tools and systems developed by our department.